Long Gone John

"Long Gone John" AKA John Mermis has been called many things, from anti -mogul, evil genius, music nazi, lowbrow art aficionado, shyster, ruggedly handsome, considerably eccentric and the first to recognize the now-hot Detroit garage-rock scene.

Related Topics:
Long Gone John - Anti -mogul

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Whether any of these descriptions are true is not apparent at face value. What is very apparent is that this man has helped launch the careers of several well known, controversial and talented artists who?ve littered our airwaves, magazines and hearts the past 15 years. (Oddly enough the same amount of time John?s indie label Sympathy for the Record Industry has been around.) Some of John?s celebrity Sympathy alumni are Courtney Love and her band Hole, Jack White and Meg White of The White Stripes, and The Donnas first incarnation The Electrocutes.

Related Topics:
Sympathy for the Record Industry - Courtney Love - Hole - Jack White - Meg White - The White Stripes - The Donnas

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Some of John?s less famous but yet still very notable Sympathy acts over the years have been, The Muffs, The Von Bondies, Rocket From the Crypt, The Mumps, April March, The Dwarves, The Chubbies, Suicide , The Gun Club, Scarling. and Redd Kross. Though this list is very impressive in certain circles it still seems rather short since Sympathy has now released over 700 records to date.

Related Topics:
The Muffs - The Von Bondies - Rocket From the Crypt - The Mumps - April March - The Dwarves - The Chubbies - Suicide - Gun Club - Scarling - Redd Kross

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Indie to the core, Long Gone John's obsession with music compels him to collect all things grrl related (including his bands) while running his record label with nary a contract signed, Sympathy Records continues to be one more successful of indie labels in the US.

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Many of his releases also involve commissioned artwork from well- known artists such as, Mark Ryden, Pizz, and Robert Williams, often involving subversive riffs on other famous works, like the album cover of The Rolling Stones' "Their Satanic Majesties Request." Painter Camille Rose Garcia is working on another big- eyed tableaux for Long Gone's latest greatest-hits disc, due this month, called "Just The Girls, Vol II."

Related Topics:
Mark Ryden - Pizz - Robert Williams - The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request - Camille Rose Garcia - Just The Girls, Vol II

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When asked what he wanted Sympathy to represent Long Gone John simply said ,"I go to great lengths to make beautiful, rare artifacts." He looks around his room. "It's all art, the visuals and the music -- it's all art."

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Sources:

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http://www.sympathyrecords.com

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Article ?Pop Music? The Los Angeles Times; Los Angeles, Calif.; Jan 19, 2003

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